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Erie County officials offer county building to city

Erie County commissioner Pat Shenigo will help pursue and facilitate a possible move, in which Sandusky officials could move their operations from the Meigs Street-based City Hall to the Erie County office building in downtown Sandusky.

Andy Ouriel

Sandusky

Feb 7, 2013

Shenigo proposed the idea at a public meeting Thursday morning. For years, city officials have looked for other options to remove themselves from the antiquated 56-year-old facility.

Comments

Why when it comes to news about the County Commissioners its always PS. Isn't Bill Monaghan President or in charge. Bill take charge.

DEEPsix

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 3:03pm

SO... Pat is ready to consolidate.... Why not consolidate the reginol schools, or the POLICE FORCES? If You can consolidate a city hall into a county building, then you surely can regionalize police forces... Fire services too, Save on the OT that fire "create" to cover shifts.... If the area wants to be superior, then look at the ATLANTA region... They whole county has ONE FIRE, ONE POLICE, with subdivisions.... next.... ELECT OFFIICIALS WHO ARE FULL TIME, AND CAN GOVERN WITH SWEEPING RESULTSTO BRING THE NORTH COAST UP TO AT LEAST "PAR".

Speakezy

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 3:39pm

Agree DEEPsix, we have too many little departments/districts eating up to much money!!!

Bada Bing

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 3:55pm

I say good idea lets relocate to the Keller building or the Reiger hotel,both have plenty of square footage and with a little remodeling it could be beautiful once again. This project is very much similar to the Lasalle building and look how we'll that turned out for the city..

pavedparadise

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 4:12pm

Could this be an attempt to even out the $8 million lawsuit the City filed against the county over water issues. Or does Shenigo expect he will get some private busuiness from what ever sprouts up at the site of the current City Bldg?

wiredmama222

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 8:46pm

He suggested moving "city operations' NOT the police and courts. Why can't they stay where they are in the old building, giving them room for expansion just as the judge wanted to do in the first place? This is solving two problems without building anything new. Why would anyone have a problem with that?

The police would have better offices, perhaps some new cells and LOTS of storage and the judge could have a bigger and better court room and lots of storage for his space as well. This is truly a gift.

Cityslicker

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 4:26pm

Wasn't that a joint venture to begin with?

Darkhorse

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 4:56pm

I guess we would be obligated to pay rent to the County subject to rental increases. This gets more ridiculous as it goes along. The city is not on good terms with the County due to lack of communication. I would not trust this as far as I could throw it. The city needs to tell the county to take a hike. The subject has never been discussed at the city meetings and we have to find out from the County what the city is up to? The County made a big blunder building a big office space and now the city has to bail them out because they have too much room.

wiredmama222

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 8:49pm

The county just made the offer. How could it be discussed at the city level...they just now made an offer of this. Perhaps its time to act like grownups and stop feuding with the county. I didn't see any mention of rent, etc. If they do charge "rent" it must be small as there is no mention of it in this article.

Let the city discuss this next and see if there is a mention of what the county would charge....if anything....for rental charges. THEN we can all throw a fit about it. Until then, I wouldn't borrow trouble until we hear the words: the rent is $$$$. LOL

pavedparadise

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 10:58am

Really Wiredmama222?

Do you really think government officials just wake up one day and come up with these types of grandiose plans and on the same day call the media with the idea. No, these plans are discussed by all parties prior to springing it on the public. As a former council person, you should know this.

captain

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 9:04am

Spot on Darkhorse.

Retiredfirefighter

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 12:40pm

Hey darkhorse why dont you do us all a favor and shut your pie hole, unless you love your city tax dollars going to increasling higher utility bills to heat, cool and light a building that is over 50 years old. The designer that the city hired poulus even said he would not recommend spending 6 million dollars to upgrade a building the is structurally weak.

T. A. Schwanger

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 1:26pm

Funny how the numbers have increased from $2 million to $6 million in a matter of 3 years. Sounds inflated to me in order to hoodwink the average citizen into believing moving City Hall is the next best thing since sliced bread.

We're not talking about a City Building that was built by the first two little pigs--sticks and straw. New windows and electrical upgrades go a long way and no way cost $6 million.

If you are a retired Sandusky fire fighter, you should remember the signifacant upgrades and improvements to City Hall in recent history.

It's an absolute travisty past and present City Commissions have discussed energy improvements to City Hall for years with no action. In fact, money was available from First Energy ($350,00)for improvements but the City Commission spent the money elsewhere

grandmasgirl

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 6:25pm

Can't quite get over the "antiquated 56-year-old facility" comment. It's a good thing that we can't all just build a new house when ours get to be 56 years old. Why was this building allowed to get in bad enough condition to have to remove themselves from it? Or is it just a matter of space?

Swamp Fox

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 7:00pm

When you look at this building the old LaSalle building the only non used area is the commissioners chambers on the third floor, which by state law they must maintain in the county seat. The remainder of the building is already being used by other county offices. The auditor, treasurer, title office, veterans affairs, recorder, law library, and prosecutor are all housed in this building and busting at the seams, the majority of these offices need to be in close proximity to the court house. Were the other two county commissioners even consulted?

reserved

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 8:16am

This comment is spot on. It is highly doubtful that the big PS consulted with Ferrell because that is not is style. Further it is even more doubtful that any of the other elected officials in that building - yes elected officials who deserve a little bit of courtesy and decorum - were ever consulted either. But, then the big PS wouldn't be able to let his buddy the little AO scoop a non-story.

Julie R.

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 9:37am

I didn't know the prosecutor's office was in the same building as the auditor and recorder offices. Had I known that I would have paid Mr. Baxter a personal visit instead of making all those phone calls that he never returned.

Darkhorse

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 7:03pm

Has Shenigo really thought this through? Where is he going to put the police station and court? Maybe they will build another floor onto the building? It is not feasible for the city to rent off someone. Renting is like throwing money out the door. The city and the county can't even get together over water let alone live together under one roof.

wiredmama222

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 8:51pm

Again with this renting thing....no one mentioned rent as yet. Don't borrow trouble until it is mentioned if ever.

T. A. Schwanger

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 8:11pm

I wonder how long this has been in the works? And if the details have been worked out.

Retiredfirefighter

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 12:44pm

shut up schwanger you and your group are idiots anyways. you and your group would do anything to screw the city

WaterStreetCooncat

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 8:21pm

At least if they do this the bar across the street will stay busy through the day.

wiredmama222

Thu, 02/07/2013 - 8:54pm

So let me get this straight....the county is offering that the city officials move into the county offices free space? That means the city won't have to spend a fortune to build a new facility. That's nice.

Since this was discussed in an OPEN MEETING, I take it the others were aware of it and it wasn't a total surprise for the other commissioners. This sounds like they are making a viable offer to the city, which is a good thing. It does not appear that everything has to be discussed with all persons in the city just because one thinks it should be. I think that is rather fitting that the county at least offered. It was good of them.

Can we leave the police and the judge at the old building and EXPAND the police's section and give the judge more room? That would be GREAT, too. Nice ideas all around. That certainly would take a lot of cost down for doing anything too expensive. The judge already has a great deal of money for his section. It shouldn't cost too much to revamp the police part and perhaps add some cells for the police department and make use of some of the offices.

Now this is a good idea. Somebody is thinking ahead. Good work whoever thought this up. Really good.

pavedparadise

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 11:44am

@ Wiredmama222::

Read todays hard copy of the Sandusky Register on the City moving into the County Building and Safe Routes to School.

Afterwards, open mouth and insert foot.

Retiredfirefighter

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 12:47pm

Wiredmama i agree but you have to look at where the police and judge is at and if it is an area of the meigs street buidling is structurally weak. If they arent i say go for it and move the rest of the offices to the erie county building

Swamp Fox

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 6:19am

Walk through the building and then ask yourself where would you put the city staff, even without the court or police, no room at the inn.....

TigerDad

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 9:41am

How about the City of Sandusky take a page out of Perkins Twp's. playbook and buy the bank owned Westgate Centre on Venice Road? It's obvious that the property will need some work, but with 90,000 square feet of space, 7 acres of land and ample parking, this could be a real bargain at the current asking price of $495,000. With the new overpass ready to go in, this may be the best buy of the year. Additional land available.

Retiredfirefighter

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 12:49pm

Tigerdad that is not a bad idea. The cops would have a good size space for a small jail and with the right modifications they could even have a indoor shooting range.

TigerDad

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 9:43am

Perkins Twp. purchased the Columbus Avenue Business Park in 2011 from the same lender that owns the Westgate Centre...

Darkhorse

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 11:37am

The City of Sandusky is no longer taking on someone's dump of a building. If we cannot fix our old building up, we certainly will not take on someone's vacant building to fix up. The city has had their fair share of people dumping their old building on us, that ship has sailed.

pavedparadise

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 11:57am

Can't recall exactly what year it was, but it was not long ago, when the City Chief Building Inspector, now ready to condem City Hall based on his findings, recommended a few years ago to upgrade City Hall because it was structurally sound.

So which is it?

Greengiant

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 1:06pm

Another fabulous idea from Pat.......Hopefully the City will split the gas bill for the giant greenhouse and save the County a fortune.

nofufucat

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 1:16pm

I don't understand why the old Adams Junior High isn't being considered for the city's needs. About 10-20 years ago it was renovated and the reason given for why it's not in use any longer is the shrinking student population. Plenty of space.

Truth or Fiction

Sat, 02/09/2013 - 2:57pm

Sell the current City Building and land to a developer and use the money to build a new complex somewhere centrally located. This way you can save money by having a complex built to need with all the latest energy savers and tech inputs. The court can locate to the county building.